Sailing away a memorable experience

Published 11:33 am, Monday, April 25, 2016

Sailing

Takes me away

To where I've always heard it could be

Just a dream and the wind to carry me

And soon I will be free

Thats the chorus for the Christopher Cross song, Sailing, which is a song Ive always loved, but I really couldnt relate to it because Id never been on a sail boat  until last week. Thats when I boarded the Appledore V schooner with a group of Ubly Community School eighth-graders as part of an educational trip on Lake Huron.

I was very excited about the opportunity to join the Ubly students on their maritime adventure. Space was limited, so Im thankful I was allowed to go. Id always wanted to go sailing, and this was a perfect way to get introduced to it. Id heard how wonderful, magical, and relaxing sailing is and how theres nothing like it. Now I know what that means.

BaySail of Bay City, the owner of Appledore V, agreed to come to Huron County and do two-hour trips out to Lake Huron and teach students about the Great Lakes and promote environmental stewardship. The lessons about the lakes could have been very dry and boring, but thanks to BaySail Program Director Jack Rich and Saginaw Valley State University student John Janson, it was anything but. They made students laugh throughout the lessons about water quality, water temperature, wildlife, weather, and much more. Students enthusiastically participated in the question-answer sessions and the hands-on projects. This certainly was much more than a typical classroom lesson for them. Sure, they can learn about the Great Lakes in a variety of ways, but probably the best way  and the most memorable  is to actually venture out onto the Great Lakes.

Students kept journals of what they learned on their trip, which are sure to be great keepsakes for years to come.

This group of students really lucked out, too. The weather leading up to their trip was not very favorable, but the morning of their trip, sunshine filled the sky, the wind barely whispered, and the water was very calm. This all led to a very relaxing trip.

Thats not to say the boat was completely still as it sailed out onto the lake. As I was taking pictures, I felt the boat rock back and forth, and it caught me off guard for a bit. My sea legs arent that experienced, so I had to sit down before I dropped the camera. As I got my bearings, the rocking boat didnt bother me. Students were told if they got sea sick, they could look at the horizon to make themselves feel better. Id never heard that before. None of the students complained of feeling sick, though. They were too busy smiling.

What I thought was really neat is the students got to put up the sails. How often are they going to have an opportunity like that? Crew member Mindy Doroski instructed students on what theyd be doing and what the commands would be. With the help of the crew, students worked in teams to put up the large white sails. They did a great job, and it was fun to watch.

I also was very impressed by Jack Rich. Hes a volunteer for BaySail and hes a Bay City policeman. He kept the students attention throughout the whole ride and he made it a very fun trip. At one point, he had in his hand what he said was a dung beetle larva. He then ate it, much to the disgust of students. He asked if anyone wanted to try it because it tasted sugary, and he said dung beetles used this sugary substance to live. Some students took the bait, thinking they were very brave and gutsy like a Fear Factor contestant. Come to find out, they were eating dates. It was an old trick, but Jack pulled it off perfectly. I, too, thought he had a dung beetle larva and I thought to myself, Why would he eat that? Thats gross!

I must say the Ubly eighth-graders on the trip behaved very well. They listened when they were supposed to listen and participated eagerly when they were asked to. They also remained quiet as instructed. Kudos to them and the teachers on board, Dave Jaroch and Stu Kieliszewski.

This educational sailing trip aboard the Appledore V also was made possible by Sensient Flavors of Harbor Beach, who allowed the ship to dock near the plant, the Huron Intermediate School District, a $600 grant from the Huron County Community Foundation, and fund-raising efforts by Ubly students. Ubly students only had to pay $2 each to go on the trip, which ended up being a priceless experience.

Ubly wasnt the only school that had students taking trips on the Appledore. The other schools were North Huron, Owendale-Gagetown, Lakers, and Bad Axe along with the seven rural schools: Adams, Big Burning, Church, Eccles, Kipper, Rapson, and Verona Mills. These schools found their own ways of raising money and paying for the trips.

I feel bad for local students who didnt have this wonderful opportunity. Im sure many of the students who got to go had never been on a boat before, or perhaps may never get to go on a boat again. For me, it was one of the most memorable experiences Ive had as a reporter.

As I was standing on the Appledore V, looking out across the blueish-green Lake Huron, savoring the pleasant sun on my face and feeling like I was gliding across the water, I thought to myself, On days like this, I love my job.

Traci L. Weisenbach is the Tribunes education reporter. She can be reached at tweisenbach@hearstnp.com or (989) 269-6461.